Server Trust Store Update for Apple's New APNs Root Certificate

Understanding the Apple APNs Root CA Change

Apple announced a critical update to their Apple Push Notification service (APNs) infrastructure:

"The Certification Authority (CA) for APNs is changing [...] All developers using APNs will need to update their application's Trust Store to include the new server certificate: SHA-2 Root : USERTrust RSA Certification Authority certificate."

Key deadlines for this transition:

• Sandbox Environment: January 20, 2025
• Production Environment: February 24, 2025

Who Needs to Take Action?

No Action Required for

• Third-Party Notification Services (Firebase Cloud Messaging/FCM, Amazon SNS, etc.)
  Service providers handle certificate updates
• Client Applications (iOS, macOS apps)
  Trust store managed automatically by Apple OS
• Mobile App Developers
  No Xcode changes or App Store resubmissions needed

Server Operators Must Act

You need to update your server infrastructure if:

• Your backend directly POSTs to APNs endpoints
• You maintain your own server certificate trust store

Updating Your Server Trust Store

1. Verify Current Certificate Status

Most modern operating systems already include the required certificate. Verify its presence:

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

ls /etc/ssl/certs | grep USERTrust_RSA_Certification_Authority.pem

Linux (CentOS/RHEL):

ls /etc/pki/ca-trust/source/anchors/ | grep USERTrust_RSA

2. Manually Add Certificate (If Missing)

Download the certificate using the official Apple link or from Sectigo:

• Apple's Certificate Announcement
• Sectigo Root Certificates

Installation commands:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo cp USERTrust_RSA_Certification_Authority.crt /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/
sudo update-ca-certificates

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo cp USERTrust_RSA_Certification_Authority.pem /etc/pki/ca-trust/source/anchors/
sudo update-ca-trust

Windows Server:

1. Download .crt file
2. Open MMC → Add Certificates Snap-in (Computer Account)
3. Import to "Trusted Root Certification Authorities"

3. Test APNs Connectivity

Validate via OpenSSL against Apple's sandbox:

openssl s_client -connect 17.188.143.34:443 \
  -servername api.sandbox.push.apple.com \
  -verifyCAfile USERTrustRSACertificationAuthority.crt \
  -showcerts

Successful connection output should show:

Verify return code: 0 (ok)

Maintaining Continuous Service

1. Ensure both old and new certificates remain in trust stores during transition
2. APNs client certificates (used for authentication) require no changes
3. Backend stack compatibility considerations:

Server Platform	Update Required?	Verification Method
Ubuntu 22.04+	No (Pre-installed)	ls /etc/ssl/certs/
Ubuntu <20.04	Likely	Manual installation
CentOS/RHEL 8+	Unlikely	update-ca-trust check
Windows Server 2019+	Verify via MMC	GUI certificate manager
Custom Trust Stores	Highly Likely	Validate with OpenSSL test

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Certificate Not Found: Download directly from Apple's provided link
• SSL Handshake Failures: Ensure both old/new certificates coexist until deadlines
• Legacy System Support: Update OpenSSL libraries if connecting to APNs via TLS 1.2+

After implementing changes, monitor APNs delivery logs for improved success rates during transition windows.

For additional resources, refer to:

• Apple's Official APNs Documentation
• APNs Server Update Forums